Asian stocks hold steady following disappointing retail and manufacturing data out of China. The U.S. moves closer to a default with no agreement between lawmakers. Budget talks will resume at the White House later today. Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Capital offloads its shares in 5 of the largest regional American banks following the recent turmoil. However 13- F filings show that two major hedge funds have bought regional bank stakes despite the volatility. The EU passes Microsoft’s $69bn Activision takeover in contrast with the UK’s denial of the deal. The bloc’s anti-trust chief Margrethe Vestager tells CNBC exclusively that the decision is not a contradiction. And President Emmanuel Macron has courted €13bn of blue-chip investment money during the Choose France business summit.

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